Puzzle.



Patented Ian. 8, mm. A. M. CHAPIN.

PUZZLE. [Application fllnd Aug. 28, 1900.)

[No Model.)

WITNESSES m 43am er rromvers FFICE.

PATENT ABBIE M. OHAPIN, OF WARE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,508, dated January 8, 1901. Application filed August 28, 1900. Serial No. 2831b. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABBIE M. OHAPIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ware, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to puzzles; and the object thereof is to provide an improved device of this class which is particularly adapted to amuse and entertain and the solution of which, though difficult, may be accomplished by the exercise of care and skill in the manipulation of the device.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference charactersin each of the Views, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved puzzle complete, and Figs. 2 and 3 detail views showing modified forms of construction.

In the practice of my invention Iprovide a box or casing a, which may be provided with a cover, if desired, and the bottom of which is provided, preferably at the center thereof, with a hole or opening I), which is preferably circular in form. I also provide a plurality of toy snakes c, which, as shown in the drawings, are two in number, but any desired number of which may be employed. These toy snakes are preferably formed by coiling a piece of wire spirally, as shown at d in Fig. 2, and then-coiling said coil into the form of a snake, as shown in Fig. 2 and also as shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 1, after which the wire snake thus formed is covered with paper or other suitable material, as shown at e.

Instead of forming the body of the snake from a spiral coil it may be composed of a wire bent to represent a snake, as indicated at gin Fig. 3 and at the left-hand side of Fig. l, the dotted line in the toy snake at the lefthand side of Fig. 1 representing the wire, which is covered with paper or similar material, so as to fully represent a snake.

It will be understood that the toy snakes are coiled spirally, so that they will roll from point to point, and in practice I place in each a small spherical body h, which is composed of heavy material-such as iron, lead, brass, or any suitable heavy material-and an ordinary shot will suffice. The shot is free to roll from point to point within the snake, and the snakes are free to roll over the bottom of the box, and the solution of the puzzle consists in manipulating the box so as to pass the snakes through the hole I). As long as the shot is in the middle portion of the snakes the latter cannot be passed through the hole I); but by manipulating the box and rolling the snakes back and forth therein the shot may be caused to pass into the heads of the snakes, when the latter may be caused to pass through the hole 17, and a similar result may be produced by causing the shot to pass into the tails of the snakes. It will also be understood that the shot cannot be seen in the snakes, and the position thereof is always more or less a matter of conjecture; butthe movement of the snakes will indicate to a greater or less extent the position of the shot therein.

My invention is not limited to the construction of the snake or snakes as herein shown and described, the only object in this connection being to provide a toy snake or snakes of spiral form and hollow and composed of light material and provided with a spherical body which is free to roll therein.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A puzzle comprising a box or casing provided with a hole in the bottom thereof, and a toy snake of spiral form and hollow and in which is placed a spherical body which is free to roll therein, substantially as shown and described.

2. A puzzle comprising an open box or casing, and the bottom of which is provided with an opening, and a plurality of toy snakes placed therein, said snakes beinghollow and of spiral form, and a spherical body placed in each snake and adapted to roll therein, substantially as shown and described.

3. A puzzle comprising a box or casing, having an opening in the bottom, and a toysnake composed of a spirally-formed wire covered with paper or other light material and Within In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 10 my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 24th day of August, 1900.

ABBIE- M. CIIAPIN.

Which is placed aspherical body which is free to roll therein, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a device of the class described, a toy 5 snake of spiral form and composed of light material, said snake being hollow, and provided with a spherical body which is free to Witnesses:

1'0ll therein, substantially as shown and de- .IENNIE G. SHAW,

scribed. CHARLES W. SHAW. 

